Home printing became remarkably more affordable and advanced in 1993, thanks to the introduction of the Epson Stylus 800. This printer was the first in Epson’s inkjet line, and some of the technology applied in this system is still used in today’s Stylus line.
This printer greatly improved the quality and speed of printing available to personal use seeking consumers. As far as quality, this printer was capable of 360 dpi. At this level, the output rivaled the quality of far more expensive laser printers. Regarding speed, users were treated to performance equaling 180 characters per second. Not only was this faster than its dot matrix predecessors, it was also much quieter.
Since this system was aimed at personal use, it printed on A4 size paper. The most important technical aspect of the printer was the print head. It did not use heat (like other models of the time) and never needed to be replaced. As such, cost effectiveness was also a big selling point for this unit.
Due to the unique heatless print head, Epson was afforded flexibility in its ink formulation. The options available served as a precursor to the possibility of inkjet color printing. In fact, this model directly led to Epson’s first color inkjet printer the following year.